Top 10 Innovative Funding Methods for Public Libraries -- Public Funding

Please list your ideas for innovative PUBLIC funding methods for public libraries - i.e. ways to garner governmental support

Produce usable materials for government offices - I'm not sure how best to put this, but at Perkins BTBL, we produce all of the braille room number and representative name signs that go on the state house; they have our logo and so every day people see our logo as they walk around the state house. They also offer the dual purpose of making the state house more accessible to braille readers and are often requested when new staff arrive or people switch rooms (LT) Give pads of paper with annual report facts on bottom of sheets of paper and dispense to government offices. Newton creates these for patrons but not dispensed to government offices(SF)

Create "buy in" for local community when creating new changes - hold public contests to come up with new designs, get people invested in the decision so that they will (hopefully) work as advocates for the library to their representatives Burger "Construction Funding 101" American Libraries April 2006, 63.(LT)

Purposely close the library for a set period of time - create a media event, allow users who come to the library to document what it means to them to have a public library they cannot use because of reduced hours (LT)

Provide a fake bill to government officials for the rate of services the public library provides if they were a private institution. I'm not sure how to articulate this, but when I worked as a law librarian at a university, we used to provide the law professors at the school with fake bills of how much our research services would have cost if we were law librarians charging a standard rate at a private institution, it would both tick them off and blow their minds and how much these services are worth. (LT)

Storytelling Fundraising :Campaign using personalized stories from the library community that address current issues in the community. Identify users that would be willing to share their stories. For example interview an ESL Learner, Literacy Learner, Child learning to read, Pregnant Patron, Self-employed business person, etc. and have them explain the value of the library in their words. Take a picture. This personalizes the experience and can pick choose individuals that illustrate how libraries are for the public good. (Large immigrant community that is not fluent, show how library is teaching English; Illiteracy is high, show an individual who is improving their reading skills; Unemployment Rate is high, show someone who got a job using resume books and employment programs; Aging Community, show a senior who volunteers at the library). (SF)

Have local municipal government sponsor a book on the history of the town/county, with historical pictures and photographs. Proceeds of the sale of the book go the library. (SR)

Public service announcements televised at the local and national levels showing the importance of a "Good" library, services provided to the community, and the power of libraries to transform individuals and the communities they serve. Although this is not a "money-maker" it would give libraries exposure and hopefully create a dialogue about how to better fund them.(RG)

When state/national budgets are being prepared librarians could march to their state capitols, meet with representatives, senators, etc. and make the case that we need more money. (RG)

Ensure that libraries are constitutionally mandated by all states or at the national level, in this way governments would be responsible for providing a minimum amount of funding to all libraries.(RG)

Create a short dynamic presentation that brings to life your library's annual report to be given to legislators and can be shared with other stakeholders. Could be a powerpoint slideshow or a clip posted on YouTube and ends with proposals for the upcoming year allocation of funding to the library. This presentation illustrates how the money is well spent and will show how more will be used successfully. (SF)

During the time the budget is being prepared by legislators set-up "we support the library kiosks" in the library, other civic buildings like town/city hall, schools and perhaps high traffic areas like the local Target and supermarkets. Computers would defaulted to a capwiz (see: [1] ) or for those not comfortable with the internet have fill-in the blank paper that could be mailed. (SF)

Advocate for legislation for private funds to matched with public funds. This is based on Massachusetts legislation that passed last year.